Cebu hosts Shell national chess elims

MANILA, Philippines - Cebu takes its turn to host the 2010 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship on Aug. 28-29 when it stages the sixth leg at the University of San Carlos-North Campus gymnasium in Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City.

The maximum slots of 500 have been filled up as early as last month with Cebu long considered as the spawning ground of chess talents in the country. With a talent- laden field, the battle for top honors is expected to be fierce both in the kiddies and juniors divisions of the tournament.

The top three players in both the 14-and-under and 20-and-under groups will join the other top finishers in the other legs in the national finals slated Oct. 23-24 at SM Megamall Event Center. The junior champion will take home P30,000 while the kiddies winner will receive P20,000.

From Cebu, the circuit will head to Cagayan de Oro for the seventh leg on Sept. 11-12 while the Mindanao leg will close out the nationwide eliminations on Sept. 25-26 in Davao. Thirty players have so far qualified for the national finals with 18 more to be drawn from among the top finishers in the last three legs of the circuit.

The elimination is played under the eight-round Swiss system format for the juniors and a nine round tournament for the kiddies. The grand finals, however, will be a nine-round tournament in both divisions.

Shell Active Chess is sponsored by Pilipinas Shell and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Phils. It is backed by Shell V-Power, Shellane, Shell Helix, and McDonald’s, in partnership with SM Supermalls, Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao, Central Philippine University Iloilo, University of San Carlos Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City Tourism. Through the Shell Active Chess, Pilipinas Shell endeavours to empower the Filipino youth, in line with the company’s commitment to sustainable development.

For more info, please visit www.shell.com.ph/shell_chess.